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Herbert Brewer

@ducorkid.bsky.social

Professor of African Diaspora History, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland | ⚽️ enthusiast

25 Posts1184 Follower745 Folgt
Marcus@marcusjmerritt.com · last yr.

A Borges story about a guy who gets AI to summarize all the world’s information for him, and then summarize the summary, until the AI has the whole world summarized into a single word. He sits alone at his desk, staring at the word, repeating it endlessly, certain he is experiencing everything

Steven T. Dennis@steventdennis.bsky.social · last yr.

Waiting until after Democrats caved on the CR, Trump issues a late night order to eliminate 7 agencies “to the maximum extent” allowed by law, including the organization running the Voice of America, the agency that helps fund museums and libraries in all 50 states, and so on. Order in alt text:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose. This order continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary. Sec. 2. Reducing the Scope of the Federal Bureaucracy. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law: (i) the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; (ii) the United States Agency for Global Media; (iii) the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution; (iv) the Institute of Museum and Library Services; (v) the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness; (vi) the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund; and (vii) the Minority Business Development Agency. (b) Within 7 days of the date of this order, the head of each governmental entity listed in subsection (a) of this section shall submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget confirming full compliance with this order and explaining which components or functions of the governmental entity, if any, are statutorily required and to what extent. (c) In reviewing budget requests submitted by the governmental entities listed in subsection (a) of this section, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget or the head of any executive department or agency charged with reviewing grant requests by such entities shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law and except insofar as necessary to effectuate an expected termination, reject funding requests for such governmental entities to the extent they are inconsistent with this order.
Charles Onyango-Obbo@cobbo3.bsky.social · 2y ago

I read that the wonderful DR Congo’s Zaiko Langa Langa is Africa’s longest surviving music group. It was founded Dec. 24, 1969. Zaiko performed at the Kenyan lakeside city of Kisumu on Dec. 14, 2024, as part of the Mzuqa festival. Is it true though that it’s the oldest? 1/2

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Chaucer Doth Tweet@levostregc.bsky.social · 2y ago

We regret to informe thee that due to budget cuttes the Tortured Poets Departmente will be combined wyth the departmentes of Chemistrye and Hotel Management. We are certayn the Tortured Poets will fynde synergye yn thys new combinacioun and do more wyth less.

Charles Onyango-Obbo@cobbo3.bsky.social · 2y ago

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called last week for hundreds of mercenaries from the South American country fighting in Sudan to return home, a sign of how private military contractors have proliferated across Africa in the fight against armies, rebel groups and Islamist insurgents

Colombians in Sudan Show Rise of Military Contractors in Africa

Colombia’s president called last week for hundreds of mercenaries from the South American country fighting in Sudan to return home, a sign of how private military contractors have proliferated across ...

bloomberg.com

Juan José Ponce Vázquez@jjponcevazquez.bsky.social · 2y ago

Surprise! AI is exploiting workers in Africa!

a black and white photo of two men with the caption i 'm shocked shocked to find that gambling is going on

ALT: a black and white photo of two men with the caption i 'm shocked shocked to find that gambling is going on

media.tenor.com

Anna Mills@annamillsoer.bsky.social · 2y ago

OpenAI must make specific public commitments to ensure their contractors in Africa pay a fair wage with a premium and adequate mental health care for traumatic work. www.cbsnews.com/news/labeler...

Kennedy Wandera@kennedywandera.bsky.social · 2y ago

Senegal🇸🇳 President Faye tells France to close all its army bases in the country, noting it was “incompatible” with Senegal’s national sovereignty. “Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country."

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Herbert Brewer@ducorkid.bsky.social · 2y ago

The media headlines referring to the incoming US Treasury Secretary as a "hedge fund manager," makes it sound like he's a manager in the meat department at Costco or something. How about "Wall Street billionaire" for a more honest headline.

Paul Krugman@pkrugman.bsky.social · 2y ago

The usual suspects are out there yelling "There are 23 million government workers! Fire most of them!" No awareness that most work for local governments, and most of *them* are schoolteachers. Federal employment hasn't grown since the 1950s

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